While there are many different categories of awards presented by the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, some years the Committee finds that there are people deserving of recognition who do not necessarily fit into one specific category. For that reason, the Committee presents the
Jimmy Collins Awards to outstanding individuals and organizations.
Collins was a longtime New Orleans sportswriter who is credited with creating the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards and forming the awards committee in 1958.
This year, the committee has designated two worthy recipients of Collins Awards. Both achieved historic success in the athletic area while representing Tulane University – the Green Wave football team enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in program history in 2022, while Tulane women’s basketball coach Lisa Stockton became the winningest women’s basketball coach in Louisiana history.
Tulane’s football team posted a fantastic 12-2 record and won its first American Athletic Conference title while shocking the nation with a thrilling Cotton Bowl victory over USC. In the Cotton Bowl, the underdog Greenies trailed the blueblood Trojans 45-30 with 4:30 to go. However, Tyjae Spears scored on a four-yard TD run, the Wave added two points on a safety and then Michael Pratt found Alex Bauman for a six-yard touchdown with nine seconds to go. Valentino Ambrosio’s extra point gave Tulane its first lead of the game and the improbable victory.
“It's a huge win for the program,” said head coach Willie Fritz following the Cotton Bowl. “Huge win for the university. Huge win for the city. We represent New Orleans. We represent Tulane University. We represent our football program. And I think we've seen this year what a great football season and competing at a high level can do for an institution. So I'm just very proud to be a part of it.”
The Cotton Bowl was Tulane’s first appearance in a major bowl game since 1940 when it lost to Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. The Wave’s 12 wins matched the school record and the seven league victories were its most since 1934; the win in the AAC Championship was the school’s first conference championship game victory. In order to reach the conference championship game, the Wave defeated No. 23 Cincinnati on the road – it was the first Tulane win over a ranked opponent since 1984 and the first time the Green Wave won a ranked-against-ranked match-up since 1956. Tulane closed the year at No. 9 in the final Associated Press Top 25 and AFCA USA Today Coaches Polls.
Stockton became the winningest coach in the history of women’s college basketball in Louisiana on Feb. 18. Her 65-45 victory that evening in Cincinnati lifted her past former Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore, a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, who led the Techsters to the 1988 NCAA Championship. Stockton, who has averaged 20 wins per year over 29 seasons, has an all-time record of 579-324 at Tulane (Barmore had 576 wins) – she also coached at Greensboro for four years and has 642 overall career wins (69th all-time among college women’s basketball coaches).
“I think it's really special because I think Leon Barmore, with what he's meant to women's basketball, is amazing,” Stockton said. “To be mentioned in the same sentence as him is pretty incredible. I think, for my team, they're so excited. I think they're so much more excited than I am, and I love to see them have these types of moments that they can celebrate.”
Stockton has taken the Green Wave to the postseason 22 times (including 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament) and won five conference tournament titles and four regular-season conference titles. She has earned conference Coach of the Year honors three times (Metro in 1995, C-USA in 2007 and 2010).
